Are We Getting Less Sociable?

Forget about buying that dinner service for eight. We seem to be spending more time at home, alone, according to a 2004 Canadian study. Glenn Stalker, a PhD student in sociology at the University of Toronto, analyzed three sets of data on Canadian social behavior collected between 1986 and 1998. He found that people were spending less time at home socializing and more time at home alone.

In 1986, Canadians spent 28 percent of their spare time home alone. That increased to 34 percent in 1998. Time spent with friends and family dropped from 63 percent in 1986 to 58 percent in 1998. While people now spend more time with friends outside of the home, that time didn't compensate for the decline in home-based socialization.

Jan EickmeierJan Eickmeier is an information analyst in the area of health for the Rodale library.

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